Break Your Chains: Write Everywhere

Summer has finally arrived on the west coast – after a stormy beginning, the cool overcast mornings have given way to clear skies and sultry twilights. It’s a time to sit back and breathe, maybe take some vacation time, and slow down from the rush of work and school. After six months of surviving workshops,…

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Giving Your Voice to Your Words

The first time reading your work in front of an audience can be both exciting and terrifying. It’s exciting because we get to share our work; it’s terrifying because we are exposing our heart and soul and opening ourselves up to criticism. Writers are not the most social creatures. We spend the better part of…

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A Good Place to Start: Writing and the Internet

“The internet is a dark road to infinity potholed with links” – Rex Pickett, Sideways I read this quote in Rex Pickett’s novel Sideways and I couldn’t get it out of my mind. Aside from the fact that it’s a brilliant metaphor, it made me stop and think about technology today – technology and its…

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The Writer’s Studio

It took three months, an essay, an application, a resume and 20 pages of my own work, published or not, finished or unfinished, and works in progress. A month after the deadline, I got the email I hoped for: “I am very pleased to inform you that you have been accepted into The Writer’s Studio Vancouver at Simon Fraser…

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Far and Away: A Writers Dream

There’s something romantic about stories of writers who have the means to travel to other places, live there for a few months and write. This is the dream we all have as writers. We imagine a cabin in the woods, a quiet desk at the window with a view, wildlife roaming freely through a lush…

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A Summer of Reading

Write every day. That’s the advice we are given when we start writing – to make it a habit, to incorporate it into our daily schedule, to just write. And for the most part, I do. But during the summer, my writing work slows down. Most of my deadlines have passed, the days are warmer…

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The Pitch

You haven’t heard from me in a while. It’s because I’ve been writing. It’s the reason we embark on this journey – to write, to put our words out there, to tell our stories. I’ve been fortunate, in my short writing life, to connect with an audience early on and find opportunities to share my…

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It’s All Worth It

We come to the desk every day and write. We send out our stories, poems and non-fiction articles just waiting for that one bite that will launch us into literary success.  We wonder if we are making progress with all the hours we spend lurking in our own imaginations and putting all those words into…

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Taking Research on the Road

Research is necessary for the writer. We research everything from the right kind of devices for writing, publication procedures, literary agents, publishing houses, facts versus fiction, writing markets, coaches, editors, people, professions, places – the list is almost endless. Research is essential for us to find the right fit for our work, and often it…

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If You Like What You See

Some people have inquired if there’s a place to donate on my blog. This is for those who would like to offer extra support for my work and I thank you for this.

A bigger thank you to all my readers who offer ongoing support simply by stopping by for a visit. I enjoy writing and interacting with you.

About me

J.G. Chayko is a writer, actress, and international arthritis advocate who’s been involved in theatre for more than 30 years and has published poetry, fiction, and creative non-fiction.